soccer soccer soccer

[soccer10k]

Gio's alive!

[UMFan83]

Give me Gio god dammit

 

I don’t care what they said the other day, he has to be hurt right?

 

Nevermind let’s gooo Gio

[Transmogrified Tiger]

NOT NOW TURNER

[wolf stansson]

Give me Gio god dammit

 

I don’t care what they said the other day, he has to be hurt right?

 

Nevermind let’s gooo Gio

I still think you’re right.

[wolf stansson]

I. WILL. TAKE. IT.

[soccer10k]

We were unlikely to score there anyway but just kick it into the box. So dumb to do what they did.

[wvcbxl]

I think that was an entertaining goalless draw ( but I understand you guys must be disappointed)

[Derwood]

About as fun as a 0-0 game can be. Plenty of action and the US hung in there blow for blow

[Mark Priors Calves]

A few quick thoughts:

 

-Shaq Moore shouldn't see the field again in this World Cup.

-Our set pieces are still so weak. Pulisic was much better today, but there were no runners or they were late. What the hell was that last one before the whistle???

-McKinnie was fantastic. He's playing with confidence and freedom.

[UMFan83]

I think that was an entertaining goalless draw ( but I understand you guys must be disappointed)

 

Not disappointed relative to expectations coming in but lamenting the opportunity to get a signature win and put ourselves in great position to advance.

 

That said this is kind of what I thought going into the WC. US good enough to limit goals and create chances but lack finishers

[UMFan83]

One good thing is Iran can’t afford to play for a draw since any wales win would allow England and Wales to advance via GD.

[soccer10k]

Kind of interesting that even though Iran is ahead of us, that the Eng-Wales result matters to them but not to us.

 

If Iran ties us, they're on 4 points with a -2 GD. If Wales wins, they're on 4 points with, at worst, a -1 GD and would go though. England would also be on 4 points and would have a better GD also.

[soccer10k]

One good thing is Iran can’t afford to play for a draw since any wales win would allow England and Wales to advance via GD.

 

Unless England starts to rout Wales. Then tactics could change, pending the score in our game.

[WrigleyField 22]

One good thing is Iran can’t afford to play for a draw since any wales win would allow England and Wales to advance via GD.

 

Unless England starts to rout Wales. Then tactics could change, pending the score in our game.

Other way around, right? England win by any amount doesn't effect US-Iran...?

[UMFan83]

One good thing is Iran can’t afford to play for a draw since any wales win would allow England and Wales to advance via GD.

 

Unless England starts to rout Wales. Then tactics could change, pending the score in our game.

Other way around, right? England win by any amount doesn't effect US-Iran...?

 

I think it just allows them to bunker down a bit and make sure they don’t lose

[stitchface]

I don't really rate Haji, but him starting is the opposite of being dogmatic to Berhalter's preferred tactical setup.

 

 

 

A general comment not specific to Wright. The US looked great.

[WrigleyField 22]

 

Unless England starts to rout Wales. Then tactics could change, pending the score in our game.

Other way around, right? England win by any amount doesn't effect US-Iran...?

 

I think it just allows them to bunker down a bit and make sure they don’t lose

They'll bunker either way though right?

[soccer10k]

Other way around, right? England win by any amount doesn't effect US-Iran...?

 

I think it just allows them to bunker down a bit and make sure they don’t lose

They'll bunker either way though right?

 

They probably will considering England probably won’t lose. But if Wales wins and Iran-US ends in a draw then Eng-Wales-Iran are all on 4 points and Iran is out on GD.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Other way around, right? England win by any amount doesn't effect US-Iran...?

 

I think it just allows them to bunker down a bit and make sure they don’t lose

They'll bunker either way though right?

 

Right, they're gonna play sufferball whether they need a draw or a 3 goal win. Like maybe they'll open up a little more in the final 15-20 minutes if they need a win, but their entire existence is based around burning the clock with a low block.

[WrigleyField 22]

 

I think it just allows them to bunker down a bit and make sure they don’t lose

They'll bunker either way though right?

 

Right, they're gonna play sufferball whether they need a draw or a 3 goal win. Like maybe they'll open up a little more in the final 15-20 minutes if they need a win, but their entire existence is based around burning the clock with a low block.

I have no idea what that last part means lol

 

:hello:

[Transmogrified Tiger]

They'll bunker either way though right?

 

Right, they're gonna play sufferball whether they need a draw or a 3 goal win. Like maybe they'll open up a little more in the final 15-20 minutes if they need a win, but their entire existence is based around burning the clock with a low block.

I have no idea what that last part means lol

 

:hello:

 

Their manager Quieroz famously has had the same approach with multiple national teams, and it's bunker hard and don't really change anything even if game state changes. Obviously the England game shows that at a certain amount of adversity they have to try to play a little, but fundamentally they are not doing anything different up 1 or down 1 until after the 75th minute.

[stitchface]

 

Right, they're gonna play sufferball whether they need a draw or a 3 goal win. Like maybe they'll open up a little more in the final 15-20 minutes if they need a win, but their entire existence is based around burning the clock with a low block.

I have no idea what that last part means lol

 

:hello:

 

Their manager Quieroz famously has had the same approach with multiple national teams, and it's bunker hard and don't really change anything even if game state changes. Obviously the England game shows that at a certain amount of adversity they have to try to play a little, but fundamentally they are not doing anything different up 1 or down 1 until after the 75th minute.

 

throw in a crappy field and referee and it's a concacaf qualifier. Awesome to outplay England but you have to be able to beat Iran if you want to be relevant.

[stitchface]

The two games I watched today, Netherlands/Ecuador and the US/England both show why group play sucks. Netherlands went ahead and basically just shut it down for the rest of the game knowing a draw with Qatar their last opponent, meant they were in good shape. England didn't look especially interested either especially considering they barely pressed a US team that has shown little ability to play out or threaten direct.

[UMFan83]

Not to look ahead too much but by far the most likely outcome if the US advances is finishing 2nd in the group and opening up the knockout rounds by playing the Netherlands at 9am CT on 12/3. To prevent that England would have to lose to Wales or Netherlands loses to Qatar (lol) or Draws Qatar but loses tiebreak or Ecuador/Senegal has a winner

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I only keep a casual half-eye on soccer outside of the wc and key qualifiers, so this is the first full look I've taken in 8 years.

 

This team looks so different from the ones I grew up watching in the 90s and 00s. Multiple guys with real creativity and touch